Push-and-pull exerciser



Nov. 21, 1950 Filed June 26, 1948 M. S. TOUGAS PUSH-AND-PULL EXERCISER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MARC}?! 6. TOL/Gfi BY m {M ATTOEA/EY,

Nov. 21, 1950 M. s. TOUGAS 2,530,921

PUSHAND-PULL EXERCISER Filed June 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jig. 7

INVENTOR. MmecsL 5. rouqas ATTOZ/VEY6,

Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2530,92'1 'PUSH-AND-PULL EXERcIs'EIt Marcel S. 'lfougas, Vermilion, Ohio ApplicationJiine26, 194s; SerialNo. 35,459 20mm. (01. 272-49) 'l\'.-'his"-in'llrl'tion relates'a's iildicalid to an eli- Bfcls'iil'g wheel, and-mere particularly; 130a therapeutic device adapted to'develop, conditlonand retrain muscles which-have'be'en injured or immobilized as-the result-'- of accidentor disease;

After an accident involving a broken arm, shoulder, or collar bone and dislocations of the arm and shoulder; it is generally necessary to apply a cast or brace-to the injured member to immobiliie the same. After'reinoval'of suchca'st or brace,- the muscles involved" are 'found to be shrunken and relatively useless. While ordinary e'iiercis'e will tendto again develop Such" muscles, very considerable difficulty is encountered by the patient in elevating the injured arm beyond a certain level and also in extending the arm to filll le'ng'th: A Similar disability often in an extreme-form is commonly found" in the case of sufferers from infantile paralysis andsimilar discases;

It is" therefore a primary object of myinventi'on to provide an exercising device whlchis operative'bbthto develop and ex'tend'the muscles of the operator.

Another object or my invention is to provide such t device" which will support theinjure'd memberdu'ring. operation thereof.

,7 Still another" object is to providesueh device which is fullyadjustable to compensateboth for the height'o'f the operator and the degreeor exertio'nofwhich he is capame: V

1 Other objects of the'" i'rl'vhtioil win'ap earas the description proc eds;

To the accomplishment of the" Tor'egbih'g and related ends; said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particu larly pointed out inthe claims, the following deiscription and I the annexed drawin setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, thesebeing indicative; however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle ofthe" invention may be employed;

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 ls a front-elevatiohal-view-ofone embodiment of my invention adapted to be mounted upon a wall or like support;

Fig. 2 is-a-side elevational' vi'ew' of the device of i V Fig. 3 is a fragmentary. enlarged elevational view of the brake means Whic'hI'provide in association with my wheel;

Fig." a----horizontal-sectional View taken along the line 4--4 on Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 on Fla. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the brackets which I employ for mounting the vertical supporting rods along which my wheel'i's adapted to be adjustably' secured; and

Fig. '7 is a detail view of one of the number tabs or brads disposed about the periphery of suchwheel. H

Referring now more'particularly to said drawing and especially Figs; 1 and 2 thereof, the embodiment of my invention there illustrated comprises two spaced wooden upright members land 2 adapted to be bolted to a wall or like support. These two'members are connected adjacent their upper and lower ends" respectively by means of metal crossbars 3 and 4 having tubular brackets 5, 6, I, and 8' welded thereto. Asshownin-greater detail in Fig. 6, such tubular brackets such as bracket 8 are spaced from the corresponding crossbar 4 by means of an intermediate tubular section 9 welded thereto. Two parallel vertical rods Ill and H are carried by such respective brackets spaced outwardly from uprights I and 2. Such rods may be of tubular construction if desired, and allof the metal partsof my device will desirably be chrome plated, not only for the pleasing appearance afiorde'd but also to facili tatecleaning. I

Wooden slide orbridg'e' i2 is attached-totubular sleeves l3 and M by means-of studs 15' welded to thelatten'and' such sleeves encircle rods [0 and H respectively for vertical movement of slide l2' therealong. Bronze bushings such as l6 may desirably be provided within sleeves f3 and I4, and studs'lli may be secured in slide l2 byrneans of nuts l1. Thumb screws I'8'and IS in sleeves l3 and 14' respectively are operative to engager'ods Ill and II to position slide'lZ at any desired elevation therealong:

A stub shaft 20 iswelded to a square metal plate 21 and'the latter secured centrally of slide H by means ofstudsfi (Fig.- 4). Alarge wooden wheel 23 having four spokes 24', 25, 26-, and'Z'I is' bolted to a circular wooden block or brake drum '28-having a central opening 29 to receive stub-"shaft 20; BaIlbearingS-SU and 31' inset in such" brake" drum and wheel provide for easy r0 tation-of the latter withoutany binding. The wheel will preferably be cut from a single piece of plywood and, like the other woodenparts, given several coats of-spar varnish.

A handle 32 extending outwardly at right angles to the plane of the wheel is secured to spoke ZS-thereof for radial adjustment there along by means of bolt 33 which Passes through slot 34 in such spoke and is secured in desired position by wing nut 35.

An angle bracket 36 is secured to one end of slide l2 and is pierced with an opening through which passes threaded stud 31. A short length of rod 33 is welded to the end of such stud to provide a pulling member of general hammerhead shape adapted to engage the inner periphery of a leather brake band 39, the ends of which are spliced and pierced at this point for insertion of stud 3i therethrough. Wing nut 40 and spring 4| on such stud permit brake band 39 to be subjected to any desired tension.

A pointer 42 of sheet metal is mounted centrally on the top of slide I2 and has an end portion which projects outwardly and then downwardly toward the outer periphery of wheel 23.

Such point 43 is thus readily visible but, since I it does not project beyond the outer face of the wheel, there is no danger of the patient being scratched thereby during operation of the device. A plurality of numbered brads 44 (Figs. 1 and 7) are inset in the face of the wheel about the periphery thereof, the numbers thereon preferably'indicating degrees. 7

In operation, screws l8 and I!) will be released and slide [2 adjusted vertically to place the wheel at the desired elevation. For most uses the center of the wheel should normally be approximately level with the shoulder of the operator. Handle 32 is positioned radially of the wheel both to accommodate the length of arm of the operator (who may be a child) and also to regulate the amount of up-and-down movement of the arm during a complete rotation of the wheel. Nut 40 will then be turned to place any desired degree of tension on brake band 39 to determine the amount of energy which must be expended to rotate the wheel. For some purposes the tension may be entirely released so that very little energy is required by the operator to turn the wheel, but the opera- ,tor's arm will be raised and lowered during each rotation thereof. It has been found that by this means a patient may cause his arm to be elevated at an angle very considerably beyond that t which he can freely raise it and even above the point he is capable of attaining upon a so-called finger ladder. The momentum of the wheel, of course, assists the patientin carrying the hand over the upper part of the circle described by handle 32. As the treatment progresses, handle 32 may be moved gradually radially outwardly and also the wheel itself may be positioned at a greater elevation as above explained. By setting the wheel with the zero marker opposite pointer 43, the number of degrees through which the patient is able to rotate the wheel may be measured and improvement noted. Thus, at any fixed height of the wheel the patient can himself measure the degree of rotation through which he is capable of turning the same until he is finally able to accomplish a complete revolution.

By tightening nut 49 and applying tension to brake band 39, increased effort is required to be exerted to strengthen the wasted muscles. Such exercise has been found to be extremely beneficial not only to the arm and shoulder muscles but also to the muscles of the chest and back. Since handle 32 projects at right angles from the wheel, my device is equally useful for treatment of either arm, and the patient will of course normally stand or sit with one side toward the wheel rather than facing the same. My brake 4 means is so arranged that the force required to rotate the wheel is the same no matter in which direction it is turned.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. An exercising device comprising two parallel vertical rods, tubular sleeves on said rods adapted to slide therealong, a cross-member secured to said sleeves, means adapted to secure said sleeves and cross-member in selected adjusted position along said rods, a stub shaft projecting outwardly from said cross-member, a large fiat plywood wheel mounted on said shaft for easy rotation thereon, a brake drum secured to said wheel between the latter and said cross-member operatively associated with adjustable resilient tensioning means carried by said cross-member including a brake band passing about said drum and engaged by said. ten sioning means whereby the precise desired'resistance to rotation may be achieved no matter in which direction said wheel is turned, a radial slot in said wheel, a handle secured to said wheel for adjustable positioning along said slot, said handle projecting normal to-the face of said wheel, indicia in degrees about the face of said wheel adjacent the periphery thereof, and a pointer mounted on said cross-member and having a tip exposed above the top center of said wheel but behind the plane of the face of said wheel.

2. An exercising device comprising two parallel vertical rods, a support for said rods adapted for attachment to a Wall with said rods spaced outwardly therefrom, a slide mounted on said rods, means for securing said slide in selected adjusted position therealong, a stub shaft on said slide projecting outwardly at right angles thereto, a large flat plywood wheel mounted on said shaft for easy rotation thereon, a brake drum secured to said wheel between the latter and said slide, adjustable resilient tensioning means carried by said slide, a brake band passing about said drum and engaged'by said tensioning means adapted to apply the same braking force no matter in which direction the wheel is turned, a radial slot in said wheel, a handle radially adjustably secured in said slot and projecting at right angles to the face of said wheel, numerical indicia about the face of said wheel adjacent the periphery thereof, and a pointer mounted on said slide and exposed to view at the top center of said wheel.

MARCEL S. TOUGAS;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Italy Nov. 22, 1927 

